During the recent baseball playoffs, I had an experience that made me stop and think about the importance of first impressions. I had just run into town after mowing the lawn, so I was wearing my typical “lawn-mowing” uniform: jeans, tennis shoes, t-shirt and a ball cap. As I walked into the produce section of the local grocery store, I was greeted by a friendly clerk who smiled and said, “Do you think they’ll pull it off?”
I smiled back, but I had no idea what he was talking about. I actually did one of those double-takes where I looked around to make sure he was talking to me, then replied, “Huh?”
He pointed to my hat and repeated the question, “Do you think they’ll pull it off tonight?”
I still had no idea what he was talking about, but now assumed it had something to do with my ball cap. So I bluffed and said, “Boy I sure hope so!” , then grabbed what I was after (a couple of pineapples) and beat a hasty retreat.
You see, unlike a lot of the people in the sales profession, I have zero interest in sports. Never have, probably never will. Oh sure, I’ve taken clients to the occasional baseball or basketball game, but that’s where it ends. Most of the time, I don’t even know which team I’m supposed to be rooting for. Sports and I have just never connected that way.
That day in the market, though, my hat was telling a different story. It’s a dark blue hat with a red “M” on it. I assumed the logo on it had something to do with sports, and I further concluded it was something to do with baseball, since it had the logo of Major League Baseball on the tag. Beyond that, I had no idea who I was endorsing by wearing it. I actually won the hat a few years ago at a conference, and I keep it because it suits the purpose of a hat: to cover up messy hair.
As soon as I got home, I found the official site of Major League Baseball and, after a little research, discovered that the team in question was the Minnesota Twins, who just happened to be playing a decisive playoff game that night. Got it. Now the produce guy’s question made a lot more sense.
It also got me thinking about the impressions we make on others each and every day, many of which we’re completely unaware of. How many other people have seen me wearing that hat and assumed that I’m a Twins fan, and how has that impacted what they think about me. It might seem like a trivial question, but what might it mean in a business context?
In other words, what might the people you come in contact with every day be incorrectly assuming about you? And, while I totally agree with fellow blogger Tibor Shanto’s recent post about making a good first impression, I’m talking about more than just your appearance. For example, what are the conversations you have with your prospects saying about you? Do they communicate clearly that your primary purpose is to help improve the prospect’s business, or do they demonstrate that you really don’t have a purpose or, worse yet, that your only purpose is to make a sale?
It really comes down to this question: is your every interaction with existing and potential clients giving the impression that you are or would be a great business partner, a valuable asset to their company? If the answer to that question isn’t a confident, resounding “Yes!”, it’s time to rethink the impressions you’re making.
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As you’ve heard me say a hundred times, it’s also critical to make an authentic first impression. Don’t hang out a ‘vegan’ sign on your burnt meat restaurant; don’t hang out a ‘suit and tie’ sign on your business heretic’s mind.
Glad to see you’re back, by the way.
100% agreed! And it’s not just the first impression you should be worried about, either. Really focus on every impression and every interaction with your customers and prospects. Treat every impression like it’s the first and you’ll make the folks who do business with you glad they do!
Every Impression Matters in Sales and Business | The Motivation 101 Blog…
What kind of impression are you making on your prospects? Is it the right one? Are you clearly demonstrating that you care about your customers by what you say and do?…
What a great story. When you are in sales you have to always be on.
Impressions are so important, especially these days, when no one seems to have time to give you a second chance and the competitor is a simple click away.
So true, Bill! The company or salesperson that doesn’t get the importance of making authentic impressions is taking a big risk: the risk of seeing their customers and prospects migrate to the competition.
Thanks for the comment.
Jerry
The saying is “You can’t judge a book by its cover” but really, shouldn’t it be “You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover” or “Be careful about judging a book by its cover?” Because we absolutely CAN and we absolutely DO! In nice society we attempt to act as if we don’t judge by appearances alone, but it is really just a survival skill that is built into each one of us and most other living creatures. In sales it would also be dangerous to try and come off as something you are not in order to build a relationship with a client. If you are “found out” you’ve broken trust and trust the backbone of your profession. http://www.salesresources.com/articles/article.cfm?ID=1296
Excellent point, Lynn. As Joel mentioned in his comment above, you need to be sure the impression you are making is authentic: don’t make a first impression that gives the impression you’re something you’re not. As you say, when you’re found out (and you WILL be found out), you’re trust in that relationship is gone.
Thanks for the comment!
Jerry